What the Memphis Papers Say of the Prospect – Savannah Not to be Surrendered

BEFORE CORINTH, May 16. – The Memphis Avalanche of the 18th contains the following:

FORT PILLOW, May 12. – We fought the enemy with four of our lightest boats on hour and a half.  We sunk one gunboat and two mortar boats.  Our loss was two killed and eight wounded and that of the enemy very heavy, as our sharpshooters latterly mowed them down.

We fought side by side with the enemy, and not one passed through our breastworks.  Our upper works are riddled, but we are ready to butt again.  We will be able to hold the river.

Speaking of the fall of Norfolk, the editor say[s], Worse than all, the Virginia, on which we so confidently relied, was burned at Craney Island on Saturday night.  Such is the tenor in the brief of the painful intelligence which flashed over the wires.

There were three cases of yellow fever at New Orleans at last accounts, two in the charity hospital and one in the French part of the city.

The Avalanche also says it has been formally decided that Savannah shall never be surrendered.

The Provost Marshal at Memphis has received instructions from the military authorities to require the banks at Memphis to take Confederate notes as currency and to arrest as disloyal all persons who refuse to receive them in ordinary business transactions.

The gunboats in the late attack on Commodore Foote were commanded by Montgomery assisted by Jeff Thompson.

At Memphis flour was quoted at $20@21, wheat @@2.25, bacon 30@32c for sides and hams, suger 6@7½c, molasses 25c, cotton and tobacco no sales, receipts or shipments, corn $1.40, oats $1.25.

The Avalanche says, “Not withstanding the Federal progress we feel an abiding confidence that Magruder will get to Richmond some time before McClellan.”

The Avalanche thinks that real estate is the best security, and urges money holders to make investments in realestate.  Arrangements have been effected by Generals Halleck and Beauregard to exchange the surgeons now prisoners.

One hundred and fourteen prisoners were sent in by Beauregard to-day under a flag of truce borne by Col. Pegram, of Western Virginia notoriety.

These prisoners have been confined at Columbus, Mississippi, some of them taken in Missouri last summer.

Before leaving Corinth one of their number was recognized by one of Price’s men as a member of the 25th Missouri, paroled at Lexington.  Beauregard ordered him to be heavily ironed.

Mortan and Adjutant General Noble arrived to-day.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 24, 1862, p. 4